#MikeyEvans

[sbknews]

Hicky makes it 4 in a week with superb Senior TT victory.

On the hottest day of the 2023 TT Festival, we had a scorching hot Milwaukee Senior Race to keep us on our toes. The very bright sunshine meant that going into shaded areas would be problematic for the riders. The track was dry and well rubbered in after two weeks without even one drop of rain. There were fans on top of the very low bank along the length of Sulby Straight, from the houses alongside the kink in the middle of it, to the bridge. Quite how anyone was allowed to put up a grandstand at the exit to the kink, I will never know; bikes are doing 200mph and people can sit totally unprotected less than 5 metres away from the track (safety officers look at Le Mans 1955) then think again. The race began on time, with Davo Johnson (Jackson Honda) the leaf blower and bird scarer for the others. With Michael Dunlop having won 4 races and Peter Hickman 3, it was expected that this would be a duel in the sun between the pair. They were both Superbike mounted; as was Dean Harrison; third placed finisher in all of his races. Davey Todd; bravely came to the line; but he was far from recovered from the virus that had afflicted him. The pace to Glen Helen was rapid and it was Dean Harrison (DAO Kawasaki) who set the best sector time; he was 0.5s faster than Hickman (FHO BMW); with Dunlop (Hawk Honda) third; 2.7s further back. James Hillier (OMG Yamaha), Conor Cummins (Milenco Padgett Honda) and Davey Todd (Milenco Padgett Honda) completed the top 6. The margins were tiny; 3.9s covered 6th to 10th. Hickman then opened the taps and reached Ballaugh in just 2m 59.883s to set a sector record. His lead was up to 3.48s. Cummins set his best time ever to grab 4th from Hillier by 0.65s. For Jamie Coward the race was over at Ballaugh. Dean Harrison was first to Sulby Bridge; then it was Davo johnson; John McGuinness; then Michael Dunlop with James Hillier. Josh Brookes was next; then Hicky, who passed Todd on the approach to the bridge. The action was excellent as the riders slowed from 190mph+ to take the tight right hand bend over the bridge and then power away to Ginger Hall. 4 miles further along at White Gates the lead for Hickman was 4.75s, after another sector record. At the Bungalow, he led by 6.135s after another sector record. The fastest ever standing start lap at 135.349mph gave Hickman a lead of 6.12s from Harrison (134.529mph). Dunlop (133.999mph) was third; Cummins (132.058mph) was 4th, Hillier 5th and Josh Brookes 6th; the latter two lapped at over 131mph. Johnson, John McGuinness (Honda), Dom Herbertson (APERO BMW) and Craig Neve (Batham’s Honda) held 7th to 10th. Newcomer Ryan Cringle was going very well; he lapped at 125.987mph. For Mike Browne the ill luck continued; he retired at the pits. Next to retire was Dom Herbertson, at Ballacraine. At Glen Helen; Hickman led by 7.4s having set another sector record. Dunlop was 3rd; 4.2s down on Harrison. Hickman continued to edge away from Harrison and led by 10.57s at the top of the mountain climb. Going into the pits, Hickman led by 11.862s; his lap speed of 135.507mph; a new lap record for the Senior TT. Harrison had the fastest pit stop and gained at least 3s on each of the other top 6 riders. At Glen Helen on lap 3; the lead for Hickman was 8.02s. Dunlop was 12.59s was behind Harrison. Cummins, Brookes and McGuinness completed our top 6. A very slow pit stop had dropped Hillier to 10th. At Sulby Bridge, we had the spectacle of Cummins and teammate Todd coming into the corner a couple of metres apart; two courageous men; neither fully fit. At Ramsey; the lead for Hickman had grown to 9.96s; it was 9.92s at the Grandstand; try as he might Hickman could not shake off Harrison; despite the latter’s bike being 13mph down on top speed. Hickman added tenths on each sector to lead by 13.1s at the top of the mountain on the fourth lap. As he entered the pits for the second stop his lead was 12.38s. Harrison had increased his advantage over Dunlop to 23.64s. Cummins, Brookes and McGuinness kept their, by now, established positions. Harrison again had the best of the pit stops; gaining 2s on all of his rivals. On lap 5 at Glen Helen, the lead for Hickman was 9.3s; nowhere near enough to allow him to ease off. At Sulby Bridge, we had the sight of Hickman and Dunlop circulating a couple of metres apart; Hickman having made the pass on the first part of the straight. Hickman had joined his teammate Brookes in doing the “Doctor’s Dangle” whilst braking for the bridge. Four miles down the road the lead was 12.69s. At the end of the lap, the lead was 15.935s; comfortable, but not entirely secure. At Glen Helen on the final lap Hickman led by 18.4s; Dunlop was using the tow from being right behind Hickman to take some time back from Harrison; the deficit being 25.2s. Harrison was the first rider to take the acclaim of the crowd at Sulby Bridge; he then had a moment when the machine tried to throw him off as he opened the taps going away from the corner; thankfully, he saved it. Hickman and Dunlop were together coming down Sulby Straight to rapturous applause. The enthusiastic crowd gave generous applause to all of the riders and they deserved after their performances. Hickman’s final lap was at 134.842mph; this gave him a record race average of 132.526mph. He was 19.98s ahead of Harrison (132.097mph). Dunlop was fastest on the last lap; he finished 20.433s down on Harrison; his race average 131.661mph. Conor Cummins (129.755mph) took a fine 4th; Josh Brookes (129.27mph) was 5th and James Hillier (128.506mph) was 6th; those riders all lapped at over 132mph on the final lap. McGuinness, Johnson, Todd and Rob Hodson completed our top 10. Amongst the local riders; Mikey Evans (Suzuki) was 18th at 122.885mph; his best lap was at 126.595mph; Best Newcomer was Ryan Cringle; he was 19th at 122.794mph. Hickman was delighted to win and equal Michael’s tally for the week. His crew had finally been able to make the machine do what he wanted without him having to wrestle it. Dean was happy to be second; his was the ride of the day given his lack of top end speed. Michael was fairly downbeat; unable to explain why nothing was quite as it had been for his wonderful Superbike win. He will have to come back next year to equal his uncle’s record of 26 wins; can’t wait. Read the full article

[sbknews]

Michael takes his 24th win to close in on Joey; Browne takes first podium finish.

Tuesday evening brough us more, warm and sunny weather. There was a large crowd gathered at Ballaugh Bridge for the Carole Nash Supertwin Race 1. Michael Dunlop started as favourite; but there was much interest in how Peter Hickman would fare on a bike that had completed just one lap of practice and was powered by a borrowed engine. At Glen Helen, it was Michael Dunlop who led on his SC Project Paton. Jamie Coward on the Steadplan Kawasaki was second, 4.5s down on Dunlop; with Mike Browne third on the Burrows RH Racing Paton. Peter Hickman (PHR Performance Yamaha) held fourth; Josh Brookes (Dafabet Kawasaki) was fifth and Stefano Bonetti (ILR Paton) was sixth. Dominic Herberston was the first rider to reach Ballaugh; he was followed by Michael Rutter (Batham’s Yamaha) who produced his normal stylish jump over the bridge. Jamie Coward was next; closely followed by Paul Jordan (Prez Kawasaki) who had started 10s before him. Dunlop was next and he gave us his usual front wheel landing. Josh Brookes and Pierre-Yves Bian (VAS Paton) gave us low flat jumps; Peter Hickman gave a nice jump with perfect rear wheel landing. The clocks showed that Dunlop led by 9.1s from Coward with Browne third. Hickman, Brookes and Rutter completed the top 6. Dunlop pulled away from the chasers and led by 11.6s at the Bungalow. As he came into the pits for the mandatory stop, his lead was 14.43s, after a lap at 121.229mph. Coward lapped at 119.697mph and Browne in third at 119.438mph. Hickman, Brookes and Rutter filled out the top 6. Hickman lost 7s in the pits and Rutter 14s; as his machine refused to restart. The leader board at Glen Helen showed Dunlop with a 19.4s lead over Coward; who was just 0.5s ahead of Browne. Hickman, Brookes and Bian completed the board. Dunlop was first on the road at Ballaugh; Coward next; both gave us front wheel landings. Best action of the lap came when Hickman arrived with Bian. They jumped in tandem; Hickman gave us the higher leap and they then powered away through the village inches apart. Dunlop added to his lead as the lap progressed; but at the Bungalow it was Browne who held second place due to a rapid climb of the mountain. As the final lap started Dunlop had a comfortable lead of 22s over Browne; so, no need for lap record pace. Browne was now 2.1s ahead of Coward; Hickman, Brookes and Bian completed the top 6. At Glen Helen; Michael led by 25.93s; whilst Browne was only 1.22s ahead of Coward. Dunlop gave a low flat jump; it was impressive as powered away almost brushing his shoulder on the bus stop wall. Hickman and Brookes gained the most style marks for their high jumps and perfect landings. Starting the mountain climb, Dunlop could afford to go into cruise mode; he led by 30.66s from Browne. Coward was giving it everything and was just 1.22s behind Browne. Despite easing off in the last few miles; Michael Dunlop set the fastest lap of the race at 121.905mph to win by 26.783s at a race average of 120.505mph. Browne’s final lap at 121.374mph enabled him to keep Coward at bay; the margin just 2.237s. Coward’s final lap of 121.362mph was his best of the race; his podium finish richly deserved. Hickman took fourth; Brookes fifth; both lapped at over 120mph; with Bian taking a deserved sixth after a very fine ride. Dominic Herbertson, Michael Rutter, Barry Furber (superb effort) and Rob Hodson completed the top 10. Michael Evans was best of the locals in 11th; debut boys Paul Cassidy and Jamie Cringle were 20th and 22nd respectively. The race has now been overshadowed by the sad news that popular Spanish rider Raul Torras Martinez lost his life in an accident at Alpine Cottage during the race. We send our condolences to his family and friends; he will be very much missed. May he rest in peace. Read the full article

[sbknews]

Masterclass; Dunlop takes 22nd win; Birchalls break 120mph barrier.

The first race day of TT 2023 had warm, dry and still conditions, ideal for racing. The crowds gathered around the 37.73 miles of the Mountain Course were treated to record breaking racing in both of the day’s events. Racing was delayed for several hours whilst a road traffic accident at the 33rd Milestone was dealt with by the emergency services. The curtain raiser was a solos warm up lap; essentially untimed practice; on any machine that the riders chose. This proved to be the end of Mike Browne’s participation for the day; his Supersport machine blew its engine shortly after leaving the start line. Hopefully, he will be good to go in the second Supersport race. The first race of the afternoon was the four lap Supersport 1 Race. Michael Dunlop has been the dominant force in the class in recent years and he headed the practice times. In perfect conditions, Davo Johnson (Jackson Honda) was the first man to take the plunge down Bray Hill. Dean Harrison (Russell Racing Yamaha) is always fast on the 9 miles out to Glen Helen, and it was he who led at the checkpoint by 0.55s from Michael Dunlop (MD Racing Yamaha). Peter Hickman (Trooper Triumph) held third 1.11s down on Dunlop. Davey Todd (Milenco Padgett’s Honda), James Hillier (Russell Racing Yamaha) and Jamie Coward (KTS Racing) Yamaha completed the top 6. Dunlop was rapid on the sector to Ballaugh and led the race by 1.57s as he jumped the famous bridge. Harrison was second; Hickman third; Coward had moved up to fourth, ahead of Todd and Hillier. Rising young star Jim Hind (Bass Yamaha) held seventh. Dunlop set the fastest ever sector time to Ramsey, where he led by 3.676s. Tower Bends; above the Waterworks means a long walk from Ballure or the Gooseneck; but the S-bend provides a super vantage point. The slight remodelling of the road profile and new surface have made it faster. The action in this race was excellent for the connoisseurs who had gathered to watch it. First to reach us was Dean Harrison; it still seems strange for him not to be in DAO colours; instead, it was the dark blue of the Russell Racing team. The flying Dunlop was next, and like Harrison, he kept it pinned through the bends. The action was excellent as Coward, Paul Jordan (Prez Yamaha), Davo Johnson, James Hillier, Davey Todd and the Peter Hickman, on the lovely sounding Triumph, charged past us. Dunlop set a sector record to the Bungalow and led by 4.49s at the top of the mountain. Harrison was now 4.16s in front of Hickman. After a lap at 128.305mph, Dunlop led Harrison (127.643mph) by 5.49s as they raced past the Grandstand. Hicky was third, 4.63s down on Harrison. Coward, Todd, Hillier, and Hind were next; they all lapped at over 125mph. Best of the locals was birthday boy Mikey Evans in 11th. Dunlop set another sector record to lead by 7.37s at Glen Helen; Harrison was also rapid adding 1.8s to his advantage over Hickman. By Ramsey, Dunlop was inside lap record pace and led by 11.22s. Hickman was now matching Harrison whose advantage was 6.46s. At the end of the lap Dunlop was just shy of his own lap record; with a lap at 129.136mph; his advantage entering the pits was now 13.44s; with Harrison 8.6s ahead of Hickman. Jim Hind dropped from 7th to 11th for being well over the pit lane speed limit. Julian Trummer suffered a similar fate for being just 0.1kph over the limit. A rapid pit stop gained Harrison 1.5s over Dunlop and 1s over Hickman. In his early years at the event Dunlop would have continued to wring the neck off the bike; not now; he showed his maturity by riding to his boards and managing his advantage over Harrison. At Glen Helen the lead was 11.13s; with Harrison 10.60s ahead of Hickman. Coward, Todd and Hillier continued to fill the leader board places. Hickman upped his pace and began to edge closer to Harrison; the gap down to 8.3s as they began the mountain climb. At the end of the lap the lead was 17.53s; but the advantage for Harrison had been narrowed to 3.94mph. Hickman was on a mission; he set the best ever sector time from Glen Helen to Ballaugh to be just 2.34s down as they approached the half distance marker. With Dunlop managing the lead at around 16s, all eyes were on the battle for second. At Ramsey, Harrison’s advantage was down to 1.12s; at the Bungalow it was just 0.12s. At Cronk ny mona Hickman had grabbed second place; 0.275s ahead of Harrison. Hickman was the fastest on the last 1.1 miles to the finish; to take second place by 0.394s after 4 laps of the most demanding course in the world. The lap record remained intact; however, Michael broke his old race record with his average of 126.880mph. Hickman’s average was 126.516mph; with Harrison’s 126.504mph. Coward took a superb fourth; edging out Todd by 2.84s. Hillier completed the leader board at the end of a scintillating race. Race 2 promises to be just as close, if not closer. Mikey Evans was best local in 12th; Ryan Cringle was the best newcomer in 22nd; he averaged 117.979 mph and his best lap was over the magic 120mph barrier; a superb first race. The second race of the day was for the Sidecars; a class dominated by Ben and Tom Birchall; they have won every race that they have completed since 2013. They grabbed the early initiative; leading by 3.962s from Pete Founds / Jevan Walmsley at Glen Helen. Ryan and Callum Crowe; getting faster with each lap after their first practice mishap; held third. John Holden / Maxime Vasseur; Gary Bryan / Philip Hyde and newcomer driver Daryl Gibson with Tom Christie completed the nascent leader board. Four of the 25 outfits did not reach Glen Helen; three were past winners; Dave Molyneux; Tim Reeves and Conrad Harrison. At Ballaugh, the lead was up to 5.095s; with the Crowe brothers 7.9s down on Founds / Walmsley. Founds was not going to lie down; he and Walmsley were fastest on the run to Ramsey; cutting the lead to 3.552s. The outfits were superb at Tower bends; tight to the wall on the inside of the right hand part of the s-bend; tight to the grass verge on the inside of the left hand part and out close to the wall on the exit. The Birchalls were quickest on the mountain climb widening the lead to 4.84s. Founds was quickest on the final two sectors cutting the lead to 3.36s at the Grandstand. The opening laps for the leading crews were; 118.577mph; 118.230mph and 115.875mph. Having settled into their rhythm, the Birchall brothers pulled the pin on the second lap. They set the fastest ever sector time to Glen Helen; 1.6s inside lap record pace, to lead by 6.778s. The Crowe bothers were now 27.5s behind Founds / Walmsley, in a (seemingly) safe third place. Two more sector record times saw the Birchalls leave Ramsey 12.545s ahead of Founds / Walmsley. They set new sector records for Ramsey to Bungalow and Bungalow to Cronk ny Mona; with Founds / Walmsley taking that honour on the final stretch. At the end of the historic first ever 120mph sidecar lap the Birchall brothers led by 16.009s. The new record is 120.357mph; almost unbelievable for those of us who can remember Dick Greasley / Mick Skeels putting up the first 100mph lap, on a 700cc Yamaha outfit. The Crowe brothers were forced to retire at Keppel gate; this promoted John Holden / Maxime Vasseur to the final podium place. The Ramsdens held fourth, Gibson / Christie 5th and Bryan / Hyde 6th as the final lap began. The Birchalls eased their pace slightly on the final lap; keeping their lead at around the 20s mark. They duly came home to their 10th consecutive win at a record average speed of 119.365mph; 24.066s clear of Founds / Walmsley (118.529mph). Holden / Vasseur took third place; how heartening to see a French competitor on the podium. Steve and Matty Ramsden (father and son) finished fourth; Bryan / Hyde eased past Gibson / Christie on the mountain climb and took sixth by just 2.43s. The next race is the Superbike TT; scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Read the full article